Power unit for shifting gears of marine engines



G. W. CROWELL Dec. 12, 1950 POWER UNIT FOR SHIF'TING GEARS 0F MARINE ENGINES Filed April 19, 1946 R O T N E V m ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITE.

POWER UNIT FOR SHIFTING GEARS OF MARINE ENGINES Gordon W. Crowell, Glen Ridge, N. J assignor to Rosalie Willis, New York, N. Y.

Application April 19, 1946, Serial No. 663,430

This invention relates to apparatus for shifting gears, and more particularly to an improved power unit for changing the gears of marine engines used for operating the smaller types of power boats.

Marine engines are usually located in positions so that some means for shifting the gears from some remote position is highly desirable. Furthermore, the gears of such engines are rather hard to shift so that considerable power is required to operate the shift lever.

I have discovered that a relatively simple power unit may be provided, for example on an internal combustion engine, which can be connected to the gear shift lever and made to efiectively operate the same from some remote point by simply pressing a button for the proper position to which the gears are to be shifted. For the simple marine engines of the type referred to, only three positions are usually provided, that is forward, neutral and reverse.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved power unit for shifting the gears of an internal combustion engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved gear shift mechanism for internal combustion engines which is operable by the suction from the engine intake manifold.

A further object of the invention is to provide a self-contained power unit which is readily connected to the apparatus to be operated.

According to my discovery I provide a power unit operating on the suction from the intake manifold of the engine and selectively utilizing such suction to shift a piston in a cylinder to the desired position, the power unit being connected up to the shift lever of the engine by means of a connecting rod between the piston and lever. According to a preferred construction the cylinder in which the piston is mounted is provided with three spaced suction outlets which connect through individual valve controlled lines into a suction line leading to the intake manifold of the engine. The valve in each line is of special construction and arranged to be operated electrically. The three outlets from the power cylinder are arranged as the suction points for the forward, neutral and reverse positions of the gears so that the piston is drawn to the desired position when the corresponding valve is opened.

In a preferred form of my improved power means I provide a cylinder and piston construction having a plurality of spaced suction outlets in which means is provided for automatically ad.- mitting air to one side of the piston when move- 1 Claim. (Cl. 12138) ,tion to the opposite side.

cylinder.

pressure.

ment of the piston is initiated by applying sue- In a particular form of this automatic means a reciprocating valve member is provided which is operated in response to the suction applied to the main. power The unit can also be operated by air In general, the gear shifting apparatus of my invention includes a power piston and cylinder combination in which electrical means are employed for selecting the power shift to be made by the power means.

The apparatus of my invention includes other features and advantages which will be made apparent by the following detailed description of the apparatus taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved apparatus for shifting gears.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view looking from the right of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a broken view partly section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 looking from below.

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figs. l-3 particularly illustrating the construction of one of the electrically operated valves.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the automatic shift valve shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical view taken on the line 6-5 .Of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a general broken view diagrammatica1- ly illustrating an engine and one way in which ,the gear shifting power means of my invention I out showing the electrical circuits for operating the power shift mechanism.

Referring to the drawings my improved apparatus in general comprises a power cylinder ii in which a piston i2 is mounted and sealed by means of a gasket with respect to the cylindrical wall of the cylinder. A piston rod l4, attached to the piston extends through a packing gland iii, and as shown in Fig. 7 is attached to a gear shift lever It.

It will be noted that in Fig. 7 my power apparatus is mounted on an engine 25 by means of a bracket 22 and that the device is connected into the intake manifold 2&- by means of a suction line 25. Electrical lead wires for operating the device automatically from a remote point such as the cabin of a boat are shown at 28.

being fixed to the end of chamber 55.

The cylinder it as shown in Fig. 3 is provided with three spaced outlet lines 39, 32 and M which respectively connect into one .end, the center and the opposite end of the cylinder. These lines respectively open into electrically operated valves 36, 38 and at which are in turn connected by short pipe sections 42 with a pipe 4 5 adapted'to be connected into the intake manifold of an enginesuch as the manifold 24 by means of the pipe 26 as shown in Fig. '7. The pipe it may of course be connected into any source of suction or vacuum. 7

The electrically operated valves 36, '38 and 40 are alike in construction and operation, the details of which are illustrated in Fig. 4 @of the drawings in connection with the valve-38 which is connected into the cylinder M3 by means of the short pipe section or nipple 32. The air drawn from the cylinder it through the @pipe 32 passes into a chamber 46, which is connected to the pipe 44 by the short connecting line 42. The chamber as encloses a valve closure head @8 which is provided with a covering of rubber or other suitable seating material '50 which normally sets over the .inlet of the pipe 42. The head '48 is mounted on a valve stem 52 which extends into a closed chamber 54 which houses a solenoid structure 59;

The solenoid 5Bis used for retracting the valve stem 52, which extends axially into the solenoid and which is retracted when the solenoid is energized. The valve head 43 is normally held in engagement with the opening to the pipe 42 by means of a spring 58 mounted between a washer attached to the stem 52 and the face of the solenoid 5;, the opposite end of the solenoid The electrical winding of the solenoid 5% is provided with a pair of sealed connectors 69 and $2, the latter connector not being visible in Fig. 4. The electrically operated valves 36, 38 and as as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 7 have their connectors 65 linked [together by .means of a bus bar 64.

The cylinder ill of the power unit is provided with an automatic operating means for admitting air to opposite sides of the piston l2 this means including an air inlet valve 66 as shown in Fig. 3, the opposite ends of which are connected by suitable pipe couplings 68 into the cylinder it at ,points respectively adjacent its opposite heads.

The structure of the air inlet valve 65 is shown more in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, in which it will be seen that the valve includes an outer casing provided with centrally located opposite .air inlet openings it}. Each end of the valve 66 includes a head :72 and an axial passageway coinciding with the end shortpipe sections.

annular relatively thick rubber gasket M having a'central opening corresponding to that in the head 12. A movable spool-like valve member s 76 is mounted between the gaskets M and is adapted to shift from a. position against one gasket to a position against the other gasket in response to suction applied to a particular part of'the; cylinder Ill. The spool-like member 16 has a limited range of movement so that its and are provided with holes 80 which are adapted in a position so that the holes 80 in the righthandend piece it are closed by the adjacent V gasket M so that air drawn through the openoperation of the valves Sii, 258 and 40 is shown On the inside of each head .12 and resting thereagainst is an ings ill will pass through the holes 86 at the opposite end and into the cylinder [0 on the left side of the piston E2.

The wiring arrangement for the automatic in Fig. 8 of the drawings in which a pair of lead Wires 8-2, for supplying current from a battery or other suitable source of electricity are connected into the valves. One of the wires as shown is connected to 'a terminal se and to all of the terminals 6 3 by means of the bus bar 64.

The other lead wire '82 connects into a control panel which for example may be mountedin the cabin of the boat or at any other convenient place where it is wired into three push buttons marked F, N and R, i. e. for respectively shifting the gears to forward, neutral and 'reverse. The push button F is wired into the connector2 of valve 36, the push button N is wired into the connector $2 of valve 38, while'the push button R is wired into the connector 62 of valve 9. The arrangement is such that when the operator presses the push button F the solenoid 55 in the valve 3% is energized so that the valve is opened and suction is applied through the line 38 to draw the piston i2 and the piston rod id to the l ft thereby shifting the lever it 'to V the left and putting the gears into a position for forward motion of the boat. When the N button is presse by the operator the piston I2 is shifted to the center position as shown in Fig. 3 and the gears are disengaged; When the operator presses the R button the valve 4% is energized and operated so that suction is applied to the right side of the piston iZso that the gears are shifted to reverse.

In the foregoing described series or" cperations it will be apparent that when one of the buttons is pressed by the operator and suction is applied to the cylinder iii, air must be admitted to the cylinder on'tlie side of the piston opposite to that to which the suction is applied. Assuming for purposes .of illustration that the piston i2 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, that the spool-like member '56 is in the position shown in Fig. 5, and that it is desired to shift the gears to the for ward position, the operator presses the button F which opens the valve 3t to apply suction to the left side of the piston 52 through the pipe 38.

Suction is therefore immediately applied through the connector Q33 to the left side of the air inlet valve 55. Air, therefore rushes in through the openings iii and in view of the relatively small holes 89, immediately shifts the spool-like member iii against the left gasket M so that the holes 8i; inthe left end of the spool 76 are closed. Suction therefore will now be effectivefor moving the piston E2 to the left in Fig. 3, and air to permit this movement will iiow through the openings it the set of holes 8b in the right end of the spool it, and thr ugh the connections 58 into the cylinder it on the right side of the piston I2. The operator keeps the button F down until the gear shift is complete. As soon as the button F is released and the circuit interrupted the valve stem 52 is automatically operated by the spring 58 to close the pipe 42 from the valve 36.

When the neutral N button is pressed by the operator and suction applied through the pipe 32 (Fig. 3) the piston 12 will be moved from either of its end positions to the center position as shown in Fig. 3, and in this operation the automatic valve 66 will operate to admit air auto matically to the side of the piston opposite to that on which suction is applied. The valve (at will operate in a manner identical with that described above in connection with the shift of the piston I2 by the valve 36. In all of these operations the automatic air inlet valve 68 functions first in response to suction to stop the admission of air to the side of the piston I2 on which suction is applied, and thereafter to admit air to the opposite side of the piston. The valve 6% therefore is set automatically in response to the suction applied by the opening of one of the valves 36, 38 or 40.

The gear shifting apparatus of the present invention may be used for other purposes by making suitable changes, and the apparatus of course may be used as a power means for making a shift of various types of mechanism to several different positions of use, such as the series of three positions provided for in the preferred form of apparatus as described. In utilizing the apparatus for shifting gears of boats it will be apparent that the unit may be located in a very inaccessible position from the standpoint of its operation and at the same time utilize the apparatus for shifting the gears by simply using the suction available at the intake manifold of the engine and the electricity available at the battery or generator normally provided on the engine. From the showing in Fig. 7 it will be seen that the power apparatus for shifting gears may be of relatively light weight and will occupy a relatively small space in the engine compartment. Various other advantages for the improved apparatus will be apparent to those familiar with operating engines of the type referred to.

The power apparatus of the present invention may be modified in certain respects to accomplish the desired result. It may be mounted in any desired position and various leverage means may be provided for connecting the piston rod l4 with the lever or other means to be operated thereby, the showing in Fig. 7 being merely provided for the purpose of illustrating one way in which the apparatus may be combined with an engine. If for any reason there is a failure of suction for the device, it may be made so that it will not oppose manual operation by placing a pin in one of the openings 70 to hold the valve member 73 in a position so that air can flow freely to both sides of the piston l2, such as pin 59, attached by chain 1|.

When it is desired to provide for more than three positions for the piston l2, additional intermediate outlets such as 32, and the associated valves 33 and their connections are provided, the outlets being spaced along the cylinder it as required. 11,

While suction through the line at provides the force for shifting the piston i2, it will be understood that the force is applied by the pressure of the air admitted through the openings it in the valve $6. In using the power unit with Diesel or other engines in which no source of suction is available, any pressure medium, preferably a gas such as air under pressure from the engine system or from an air pump or compressor may be applied through the openings-H3 in the valve 66. In such an operation the pipes 42 or the pipe 44 will be open to atmosphere.

The changes and modifications referred to are contemplated as coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new is:

In a power apparatus for applying power by means of a cylinder and piston, the latter of which has a piston rod attached thereto for applying the power in either direction of its motion, a pipe having branch lines connecting into said cylinder at opposite ends and in its central portion, valves in said lines normally maintained in closed position, means for automatically opening a selected one of said valves for the application of suction to a predetermined portion of said cylinder, means for admitting air to said cylinder at the opposite ends thereof, said last mentioned means including pipes leading from 013-- posite ends of said cylinder respectively into opposite ends of a cylindrical casing having a central port opening to the atmosphere, a. spoollike member slidable in said casing including spaced cylindrical members, relatively small holes through said cylindrical members parallel to the axis thereof, and means for closing-off the holes in one of said members when the member moves toward the end of the casing adjacent thereto, said movement being adapted to permit the flow of air through the holes in the opposite member and through the adjacent pipe into the cylinder.

GORDON W. CROWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,952,806 Hyland Mar. 27, 1934 1,963,444 Mullins June 19, 1934 2,156,118 Kliesrath Apr. 25, 1939 2,157,328 Durham May 9, 1939 2,206,771 Dugas July 2, 1940 2,396,787 Hawthorne Mar. 19, 1946 2,398,997 Berry Apr. 23, 1946 

